just the facts, ma'am
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| grouch Aug 01, 2006 7:15 AM EDT |
One fact is that after newbies discover how great the software is, they usually want to know how it got that way. That's the perfect time to give a little run-down on the development model. They also want to share their great discovery. That's when free becomes Free and you get to tell them about being free to help a friend, themselves or the world (literally: http://lxer.com/module/newswire/lf/view/64720/ ). |
| tuxchick2 Aug 01, 2006 8:33 AM EDT |
Good link, grouch, that one is worth repeating. |
| Bob_Robertson Aug 01, 2006 8:58 AM EDT |
Yep. At the beginning, most people focus on getting things done. Like dating. Once the task is accomplished, and the deed done, then there is time to relax and look around and think about things. Of course, this might be only a male perspective. :^) |
| tuxchick2 Aug 01, 2006 9:10 AM EDT |
"then there is time to relax and look around and think about things.
Of course, this might be only a male perspective. :^)" Is that the part where you go "Oh NO what have I DONE??" and have a big freakout? :) Introducing new users to FOSS and showing them the benefits and advantages doesn't have any kind of magic formula because every person is different with different needs. Conspicuously absent from most discussions on this is the part about listening to people and learning what their needs are, which unfortunately is an alien concept to a lot of computer geeks. Everything flows from that. For example, Ernie Ball got fed up with the license gestapo. A lot of my customers got fed up with malware and instability. Most of my server migrations resulted from annoyance with Windows' overall shoddiness and difficulty of administration. (Don't believe the myth that Windoze is easier to admin. It isn't, not by a country mile.)In fact most of my windoze to Linux migrations started from extreme peeve. Some folks are attracted right away to Free as in Freedom, most folks need to see it in action first. Talk is cheap. Thinking in terms of 'how can I meet this person's needs' works. Proceeding from "this is good for you or else" doesn't work. |
| dinotrac Aug 01, 2006 9:42 AM EDT |
tc - Bingo. Bingo. Bingo. Bingo. Listening -- the silent persuader. Good persuaders -- whether top sales people, great lawyers, effective negotiators, whatever -- They listen carefully to see what they may learn. |
| Bob_Robertson Aug 01, 2006 9:54 AM EDT |
"Is that the part where you go "Oh NO what have I DONE??" and have a big freakout? :)" Thus the term, "Coyote Ugly". =8^O But indeed, the first thing I do is ask what a person uses their machine for. Far more rare is the opportunity to bring up Libre first, that only happens in Libertarian or related forums. Other F/OSS users will instantly jump in with the utilitarian benefits, much the same way that a utilitarian discussion will always have someone bring up the four freedoms as icing on the cake. Personally, I take both arguments to their logical extreme: Anarchy isn't just the greatest individual liberty, it is also far more efficient than having 7/8 of your productive wealth stolen through taxation and regulation. Audio: http://www.mises.org/mp3/MU2004/Long2.mp3 Text: http://www.mises.org/story/2220 |
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